Marko Rubio Urged to Halt Military Aid to Azerbaijan

Sixty representatives from the United States House of Representatives have called on Secretary of State Marko Rubio to cease military assistance to Azerbaijan. This appeal comes in response to ethnic cleansing actions against the 120,000 native Armenian Christian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, the continued occupation of the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, and the unlawful detention of Armenian prisoners.

This information was reported by the Armenian National Committee of America, noting that the bipartisan letter was directed to the U.S. Secretary of State. Citing the ethnic cleansing of the 120,000 native Armenian residents of Nagorno-Karabakh, U.S. lawmakers emphasized that Azerbaijan, free from material consequences or accountability for its actions, continues to undermine efforts aimed at establishing just, lasting, and dignified peace in the South Caucasus through ongoing aggression against Armenia.

The signatories of the letter urged Secretary Rubio not to apply the waiver authority that has allowed successive U.S. administrations to bypass Section 907, and instead to enforce the full implementation of the law to hold Azerbaijan accountable for its crimes. Since 2001, all U.S. Presidents have utilized the waiver provision, up until 2024, when President Biden was the first to apply Section 907.

“In the context of Azerbaijan’s ongoing aggression, the violence against Armenian prisoners of war, the destruction of Armenian Christian cultural heritage, and the denial of the right of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to return safely to their homes, the lack of accountability towards Azerbaijan will not only normalize its actions but will also encourage U.S. competitors who seek to exploit Washington’s inaction,” the signatory Congress members noted.